Thursday, 30 August 2012

The Stewart Kerr Stuker was built by Stewart Kerr of Dunedin in the mid 1990's. It is a mid wing design that looks a bit like the Rans S9 Chaos. Construction is of steel tube fuselage and alloy tube wings, all fabric covered. The motor is a Rotax 503, currently swinging a Brent Thompson propeller.

ZK-JFP (c/n 001) was registered to Stewart Kerr on 13/5/97. It was sold to Andrew Gilmour of Taieri on 6/8/03 and then to Noel Wilson of Reefton on 8/4/08. Finally it was purchased by Robin Baker of Palmerston North on 22/4/08. Robin refurbished the aircraft and painted it in its current blue and white scheme. It is hangared at Feilding Aerodrome where the photos were taken. ZK-JFP has flown 215 hours to date.

This view of the cockpit shows the under wing clear panels which allow visibility below.

Can you help in any way to recover any of these items and help get this aircraft airworthy again.

Lost Cropmaster parts
Quote from TradeMe follows.

"Around 1973 Yeoman Cropmaster ZK-CTX was withdrawn from service (undamaged) and placed in long term storage. I have recently purchased this aircraft with the hope of restoring it to airworthy condition. Unfortunately over the period it was stored some major items have been removed. Can anyone help recover the following items. Nose cowling (fiberglass) Tail fin Main instrument panel Log book These items would be of no use to anyone else and were in an undamaged condition when placed in storage. With your help this aircraft may yet grace the skies again."Yeoman YA-1 Cropmaster 260CR Series 11 ZK-CTX (c/n 120) was registered to Southern Aviation Ltd of Gore on 30-05-1967. It was withdrawn from use in April of 1971 and cancelled from the register on 13-11-1973.
The above photo was taken at Taieri on 15-11-1967.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

As I sit at Auckland Airport listening to the whine of two Rolls Royce Dart engines attached to F27-500 ZK-PAX as it completes another freight run for Air Post from Wellington as "Post 20" I'm led to believe that fellow freighter, F27-500 ZK-NAO has been withdrawn from service prematurely following an in-flight engine shutdown a few days ago on its way into Auckland.

ZK-NAO has been with Airwork since March 1992 following Air New Zealand's disposal of the type and was procured by the Auckland based firm along with sistership ZK-NAN.

There has been industry speculation that Airwork were in the process of retiring the three F27's (ZK-PAX, POH, NAO) but the exit for ZK-NAO has been expedited after the engine shutdown.

Can anyone confirm that she has been withdrawn from service?

ZK-EAR was listed to New Zealand Aerospace Industries of Hamilton on 13-10-1975 and was ferried across the Ditch in its Royal Australian Air Force markings of A19-055 and also wearing its ZK-EAR markings on the lower fin and strake. I spied it at Bankstown on 23-11-1975 still wearing these dual markings.

Two shots of ZK-EAR at Bankstown on 23-11-1975.
Below we have ZK-EAR/A19-055 on the left with ZK-EAQ/A19-054 centre and ZK-EAP/A19-053 on the right. The ZK registrations of all three were cancelled on 12-12-1975.

During its earlier days with the RAAF it was also known as VM-YBI and near the end of its military career it could be heard on the Airwaves as "Torch 55".
The RAAF sold it off on 22-05-1993 with it being airfreighted to Auckland on 27-07-1993 for Hugh Jones of Takapuna. Hugh registered it in NZ as ZK-CTA2 on 27-10-1993.
It was leased by the North Shore Aero Club from 29-02-2008.
I believe it carried the name "Black Pearl" at about this time.

Two views here of ZK-CTA at North Shore Airfield on 09-03-2008.

Ownership changed to Airlift Trading Ltd of Auckland, which is another way of saying Hugh Jones, on 29-03-2010.

As ZK-CTA it departed from Kerikeri on 14-08-2012 for Norfolk Island. After overnighting it moved on to Lord Howe Island and then to Coolangatta in the 15th. Its NZ registration was cancelled on 21-08-2012.

The Puffer Cozy 3 ZK-COZ (c/n E749/AACA/2085) was constructed by Frederick Libeau of Campbells Bay and first registered on 12-11-1992. It was withdrawn and cancelled from the register on 24-11-1998 only to re-appear on 20-09-2007. A year later it was sold to Russell and Fiona Borman. This aircraft was designed by Nat Puffy andwas derived from the Rutan Long-EZ. This pic was taken prior to its post maintenance accident at Tauranga on 23-12-2011 when the canopy opened on take off.

Above is the Quickie Q200 ZK-FWF (c/n AACA/646). This is a two seater designed by the same Burt Rutan as mentioned above. The Q2 was a Dimberline Warren Syndicate project at Nelson and was registered on 11-04-1990. It first flew in 1994 with a RR Continental O-200A engine. I believe it was up for auction at Omaka in January of 2009. Its new owner was the Whangamata based David and Helen Sosich from 26-02-2009. It was then noted it for sale on TradeMe in October of 2010 with 105 airframe hours, being stored at Hamilton and last flying in March of 2009. Its current owner is Grant Nicholls of Tauranga. Grant has a couple of other interesting aircraft to his name.

The L M Harris Spitfire U/L ZK-JNM (c/n 002) was built by Harry Harris. See previous blog by Sir Minty on this one at :-

Monday, 27 August 2012

Aviationshotz made a trip to the Waikato this past weekend and came upon an airstrip just off highway 39 about 3km south of Ngahinapouri, west of Hamilton International Airport.

Cessna A188 ZK-CSL has been registered to a Waikato address since October 2006 and prior to this was on the West Coast.

Grumman G164A Agcat ZK-MEW has been a NZ resident since 1991 when it was imported for tourist flights in Canterbury. It has since changed hands many times and has been with the same owner as ZK-CSL since April 2010.

Superair have Fletcher FU24-950 ZK-JQB located at the strip.

Flyernzl provides the following (from Wings over NZ forum 2009)

Fletcher Fu-24-950 ZK-DBG c/n 155 started life back in 1970 and served with
Aerial Work in Marlborough before ending up with Feildair 10 years later. It's
last flight was on 6Nov96. Super Air bought the airframe in 1999 and cancelled
the registration in 2001. It has now emerged from a rebuild as a NZ Aerospace
FU24-950 with a new registration of ZK-JQB and a new c/n of 156, which is a
little surprising as 156 was ZK-DBF which was last heard of stored at
Feilding!

Russell Brodie's Rangitata Island Airstrip was host to the Annual fly in of the aircraft from the North Shore of Auckland on Sunday 26-08-2012.

All photographs sent in by Russell Brodie via iPhone.

Above we have the Cessna 177B Cardinal ZK-DFU (c/n 01663) from the Cardinal Capers Syndicate of North Shore. It is almost back to its old stamping ground. It spent the years between 1986 and 2006 at Timaru, Ashburton, Hokitika, Franz Joseph and then Lake Tekapo before heading up to Auckland. It was originally a New Plymouth Aero Club aircraft from 1972.

Cessna 172M Skyhawk 11 ZK-DXQ (c/n 66074) has always been based up North, spending its first twenty two years with the Bay of Island Aero Club at Kerikeri. It is now a member of the RNZAF Base Auckland Aviation Sports Club Inc at Whenuapai

ZK-ELU (c/n 71322) is an N model of the Cessna 172 currently listed to Andrew Milne of North Shore. Once Nelson based it returned North in mid 1985 for the Auckland Aero Club.

The Grumman American AA5A Cheetah ZK-ERJ (c/n AA5A-0290) served its first two years in Australia before being imported for the NAC-BP Flying Club in Christchurch. Since 1990 it has been in the care of the Cheetah Syndicate of Browns Bay.

A less common sight is the Socata TB10 Tobago of which we have had five in country. ZK-JIE is c/n 1306 and belongs to the RNZAF Base Auckland Aviation Sorts Club Inc at Whenuapai. It spent its youth with the BAe Systems Flight Training at Tamworth in Australia coming over to NZ in the later part of 2003 for Air2there at Paraparaumu.

The Cessna 182T Skylane ZK-PJC (c/n 81476)is a 2004 model which came to NZ last year for Peter and Christine Clark's Pacific Cruises Ltd.

Its hard to believe but this Piper PA-28R ZK-RTE (c/n 28R-35725) is 42 years old. It came to NZ in 2008 after a restless period in the States followed by a move to Canada in 1982. It retained the last three letters of its Canadian registration of C-GRTE as its Kiwi ID.It has been with Carters Aviation since arriving here, but with periods with Air Discovery And the Tauranga Aero Club.

The Cessna 172N ZK-EOG (c/n 71808) was allocated the US N5276E registration on the production line. It was imported to NZ by the agents Dalhoff and King Ltd of Ardmore and registered on 28-02-1979. Above we see her parked outside D & K at Ardmore on 04-09-1979. Foxpine Air Charter Ltd took it over from 22-04-1980 and it was seen below at New Plymouth on 11-09-1984 - still in its factory scheme but with Foxpine branding on the fin.

By mid June of 1989 it was with Christian Aviation Ministries Inc of Ardmore. It was syndicated to the EOG syndicate of Papakura on 12-09-1994. Then according to my information it was listed to Superhawk Holdings of Glenn Innes on 02-03-1995 and then to the Dempster - Stobbs Syndicate of Wellington on 10-04-1995. If you consult the CAA register you will see that it is currently listed to Superhawk Holdings as of 10-04-1995 !
Somewhere along the way it became a "Superhawk", as indicated by the wingtip markings. Does this mean that it carries a 180hp engine ?
One of the Superhawk Holdings members is Phil Pacey of Pacey Trucks - and it was seen at Wanaka, suitably marked, on 10-04-1998.

Below it was captured by the lens of Keith Morris at North Shore on Saturday 25th August 2012.

Tecnam P2004 Bravo ZK-STT (c/n 009) was cancelled from the NZ register 07 August as exported. Registered to Total Entertainment Consultants, who also operate Cessna 421 ZK-STV and Cirrus SR22 ZK-STU, have had the Bravo since it was registered back on 03 August 2005.

Making its way onto the NZ civil aircraft register 23 August was Piper PA31-325 Navajo Panther ZK-SRC registered to Air Gisborne. This snazzy machine is the second Panther converted Navajo in NZ following Hamilton based ZK-LTD.

As N27287, the PA31 arrived at Dennis Thompson International's Ardmore facility on on 17 August from Pago Pago and Auckland having crossed the Pacific from Hollister, California via Hilo and Christmas Island. It continued south to Hamilton late on the morning of 18 August.

Sunday, 26 August 2012

Three of Great Barrier Airlines Trislanders were outside at North Shore yesterday, in patriotic red, white and blue.

With its nose in the hangar was ZK-LGF (c/n 1023) while ZK-LGC (c/n 1042) was ready to go in the background. Then there was ZK-LOU (c/n 322), continuing its long term repair after losing a propeller on take off from Great Barrier Island on 5 July 2009. The propeller struck the side of the fuselage causing a major emergency and forced landing, amazingly without serious injury. The repairs to the fuselage can be seen in the background.

Great Barrier Airlines have a lot of Trislander parts including spare fuselages stored in hangars at North Shore.

Robinson R44 Raven 11 ZK-HKD3 (c/n 10987) was imported by and registered to Wing and Rotor Aviation Ltd of Papakura on 16-12-2005. Ownership was transferred to Helinorth Ltd of Whangarei on 16-12-2005.

Saturday, 25 August 2012

The Thatcher CX 4 was designed by David Thatcher of Pensacola, Florida as a retirement project (he's 75), and his prototype first flew on 10 February 2004. It is of simple construction, mainly from 6061 T-6 aluminium and requires no special jigs. It looks right which usually means it flies right, and from all reports it is a sweet performer with good flying characteristics. David Thatcher has now designed and built a tricycle undercarriage version, and a 2 seat CX 5 is under construction.

The CX 4 is 18 feet 3 inches long (5.56 metres) and the wingspan is 24 feet (7.30 metres). Its empty weight is 543 pounds (236 Kg) and MAUW is 850 pounds (386 Kg). With a 1700 cc motor it cruises at a respectable 109 knots (125 mph).

The CX 4 is the latest type of single seat homebuilt aircraft to appear in New Zealand, and we will see more of them as apart from the 2 flying examples there are at least another 7 under construction.

Our first CX 4 was ZK-TCX (c/n 178) which was built by Allan Jones of Levin, and was first registered on 8/11/10. It is painted in a similar scheme to David Thatcher's prototype. Allan mainly flies it out of Masterton, where Geoff Lloyd took the above photo on 11/12/11.

Th CX 4 is trailerable as shown in this photo from Allan Jones, taken at Waitarere in December 2010. The wings can be removed in 20 minutes.

And our second CX 4 is ZK-CXY (c/n 189) which was built by Derek Dikstaal of Waiwera, and was first registered on 26/7/12. Derek's aircraft features a Great Plains VW motor with a Lightspeed electronic ignition. The above photo was taken at North Shore Airfield today, 25/8/12, following its first flight by Dave Simpson (whose Harmon Rocket lives in the same hangar as ZK-CXY). Dave reported that the first flight went very smoothly and he was surprised by the cruising speed without a canopy. A canopy will eventually follow.